The present invention relates to hearing devices for aiding the hearing impaired and the profoundly deaf, and more particularly to a multi-contact connector system providing electrical and mechanical connection between an external sound processor and a battery, earhook, or other accessory desired to attach to the sound processor. The connector system of the present invention is useful for conventional hearing aids and for cochlear stimulation systems employing Behind-The-Ear (BTE) and body worn sound processors, and for other devices requiring a mechanically stable and robust sealing connector having multiple contacts.
Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) systems are known in the art. Such systems are used to help the profoundly deaf to hear. The sensation of hearing is achieved by directly exciting the auditory nerve with controlled impulses of electrical current, which impulses are generated as a function of audio sounds picked up by a microphone carried externally by the deaf person and converted to electrical signals. The electrical signals, in turn, are processed by a sound processor, e.g., converted to a sequence of pulses of varying width and/or amplitude, and then transmitted to an implanted receiver circuit of the ICS system. The implanted receiver circuit then generates electrical current as a function of the processed signal it receives from the sound processor. The implanted receiver circuit is connected to an implantable electrode array that has been inserted into the cochlea of the inner ear. The electrical current generated by the implanted receiver circuit is applied to individual electrode pairs of the electrode array to stimulate the auditory nerve and provide the user with the sensation of hearing.
The sound processor is powered by batteries that typically have a limited life before they need to be recharged or replaced. These devices are often worn by children and the elderly, and the batteries may be detached and reattached by the patient one to several times a day. Therefore, their battery connection must be both easy to work and robust. In addition to batteries, users of hearing aids and cochlear implants have requirements to attach a variety of auxiliary devices to the sound processor to augment the basic hearing function. These devices include earhooks, telecoils, auxiliary microphones, FM receivers, audio jacks, and the like, and they may be attached and detached as needed for various activities throughout the day. Many of these devices are capable of transmitting and/or receiving information, which may be analog or digital.
ICS systems typically include an external headpiece positioned on the side of the user's head for communicating with the cochlear implant and connected to the sound processor via an external cable. While some sound processors are carried by the user on a belt or in a pocket, others are worn behind the ear (BTE), greatly increasing the exposure to sweat. A particular problem associated with cochlear stimulators and related medical devices is corrosion. When sweat, bodily fluids, and other contaminants come in contact with the battery terminal or an accessory's electrical contacts, corrosion occurs, which, left unchecked, would eventually disable the system, or at least disable the accessory. The integrity of the connection between the battery or other accessory and the sound processor is critical for proper function and safety. The connection must prevent the introduction of foreign matter, such as body fluids and other contaminants that may compromise the electrical connection. An effective, efficient solution is needed for this problem.
Another problem is medical device stability and ability to withstand vibration. The battery or accessory must be firmly connected to the sound processor in such a way as to avoid disconnection resulting in medical device malfunction leading to loss of hearing. Thus, in addition to ensuring a complete seal of the connection area between a battery or accessory and a medical device, the connection must also be mechanically sound.
As such, it is desirable to have a device that provides a simple, easy-to-use, inexpensive, reliable, robust connection and sealing mechanism and that efficiently and effectively addresses the problems found in the prior art. There is therefore a need to provide a small, lightweight means to reliably and detachably connect a battery, earhook, or other auxiliary device to a BTE sound processor.